The King's Gold
by redrose7856
Summary: When a mysterious royal visitor comes to Nottingham, the gang discovers that Eleanor wasn't Richard's only treasure. Can they keep this treasure safe?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, nor do I own BBC. If I did, the writers would have all been taken out and shot long before the season finale aired. But I do not. So this is a fanfiction. Enjoy.**

The Sheriff of Nottingham sat in his study, thinking about a new plan to capture Robin Hood. The outlaw was a constant thorn in his side, always rescuing those meant to be disposed of, always freeing those meant to be imprisoned. Vaisey sighed. It just wasn't fair.

Someone knocked on the door, causing him to look up irritably.

"What?" he barked. The door opened and Guy of Gisbourne walked in, followed by another man. "What is it?" the Sheriff growled.

"A message."

Vaisey snatched the parchment and reading it. His eyes widened in disbelief and he looked up at the messenger.

"_Here_?" he gasped. "She's coming _here_?" The man nodded, looking like he was used to people making such fuss over news like this. "Gisbourne, do you realize what this _means_? Someone of her _rank_ and _value_!" Recalling that the messenger was there – someone who did not know about his (and Prince John's) plan to overthrow the king – he added, "We'll send a royal procession, of course……"

"She don't want one." The messenger droned.

"What? Why not?"

"I dunno. She just says that she don't want t'make a big show o' comin' t'Nottingham. She's already plannin' t'ride wi' a bunch o' her mates."

"And bodyguards too, of course?"

"Eh….a few……five or six……"

"No no no!" Vaisey yelled. "She's got to ride through _Sherwood Forest_! It's _dangerous_ out there! You _must_ tell her to bring more men."

"I tried She insists the men she's bringing will do." The messenger explained.

"When will she arrive?" Gisbourne asked.

"Day after tomorrow."

Vaisey nodded absently.

"Dismissed." He ordered. The messenger bobbed his head and left. The Sheriff sighed.

"Gisbourne, I want you to meet her party in Sherwood and escort them here. If Hood gets her alone for even a minute, he could get a message to the king. And I've received an order from Prince John that she _must_ remain here, as a bargaining piece against the king."

Gisbourne nodded and left. He knew what to do.

**Short introduction, yes. Here's the deal: If I get four people telling me that they want me to update this, I will update it. So please R&R.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood, so you can't sue me for this! Ha ha!**

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed!**

Robin sighed. Being an outlaw was a great job……except for the endless waiting. It seemed like that's all they ever did. Right now, he and the others were waiting by the road to catch a glimpse of the mysterious visitor Marian had said was coming. Granted, the opportunity to steal something from the Sheriff was fun, but this was just unbearable!

Will suddenly whistled and all the outlaws looked up. Sure enough, an ornate carriage was coming down the road. Robin signaled and they went down into the road. The driver yanked the horses to a halt.

"What's the meaning of this?" he bellowed.

"Just a robbery." Robin replied cheerfully.

"Winston? What's going on?" called a voice. The carriage door opened and six people stepped out. One was a tall, skinny man, who looked as if a gust of wind could knock him down. The rest were in their midteens, none older than seventeen, Robin supposed. Two looked foreign, perhaps Saracen. There were two boys, one a tall, muscular youth and the other a dark haired lad. The third girl was most definitely British, possibly noble. They stared at the outlaws, not with fear as much as interest.

"Can we help you?" the lead girl asked. Yes, her voice definitely held the authority of a noble.

"This is a raid." Robin told her. "We're taking ten percent." The girl stared at him and then burst out laughing, joined by the others.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Much whispered.

"I-I'm so sorry!" the girl laughed. "We've been so afraid of being attacked and murdered by outlaws that it never occurred to us that you might simply _steal_ from us." Robin sighed. _Nobles_. Lowering his bow, he stepped forward to being "collecting".

"HIYAH!!!!" roared a sudden voice. The outlaws looked up and saw six horses thundering towards them. The girl looked at him.

"Get out of here!" she hissed. "Now!" At a signal from Robin, the outlaws did as was told. Robin backed into the trees, still within hearing distance but concealed all the same. The riders rode up and stopped. One man, almost as tall as John, leapt off his horse and sprinted towards those in the road, his hand flying to the huge battlesword at his back.

"My lady!" he boomed.

"We're _all right_, David." The girl said soothingly, laying a hand on his arm. "We were just stepping out for some fresh air."

"You shouldn't be out here, my lady." He said. "It's not safe."

"It's too stuffy in the carriage." She argued.

"Open the curtains," one of the other men suggested. David shook his head.

"It's too dangerous. We're not far from Nottingham, my lady." He added as he ushered everyone back into the carriage.

"So glad you arrived, eh, David." The skinny man said. "In a bit of trouble, we were."

"Isaac!" the girl hissed.

"About to be robbed, we were." Isaac continued. "Nasty, that would've been." David looked at the girl.

"My lady?" he asked.

"They weren't going to harm us." She said quietly. "They didn't know!"

"We're about six miles from Nottingham." One man pointed out. "We'll stay closer to the carriage." David nodded and remounted his horse. Then, the group moved off.

Robin and the other outlaws went back onto the road, staring after it. Much asked the question everyone was thinking:

"What was that all about?"

**OK, you guys know the drill. Four reviews means one update. And I promise, you will find out who she is next chapter! So please R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood. If I did, Marian would be alive and Will and Djaq would be back in Sherwood. But I don't own it. If you don't believe me, watch the season finale.**

**A/N: OK, I actually have no idea if I got 4 reviews for this chapter. Oh well, I needed to update anyway.**

David scanned the road as his horse trotted after the carriage. No sign of any outlaws or any other threat. He looked at the carriage, but the curtains were drawn and it was silent inside. He shook his head. _I'll be glad when the war's over and the King's returned. Then we won't need to be sneaking her all over the countryside, acting like we were average people._ A twig snapped and he instinctively reached for his sword before seeing that it was only a rabbit, scampering through the woods. David relaxed. They were almost to Nottingham, and Prince John had personally assured them that she'd be safe there. David looked again at the carriage and sighed. Ever since she'd been born, he'd been watching over her, ready to protect her at any costs. The very thought of anything happening to her sent chills up and down his spine. He looked at the woods again, searching for anything that didn't belong there. Isaac's narrative about outlaws had unsettled him. She'd insisted that they didn't know, but that was no comfort. Outlaws could rob them and kill them without ever finding out who she was. Up ahead, his fellow guard Phillip looked up sharply.

"David!" he said urgently. "I hear riders, coming this way." The other riders tensed, their hands going towards their weapons. _Protect her at all costs. She is all that matters. Nothing can happen to her._ David silently reviewed all that the King had told him before he'd left. He rode past the carriage.

"Stop." He said softly. Immediately, Winston did as he was told.

"What's going on?" a voice that David recognized as Isaac's called.

"Shut your trap." He growled back, drawing his battlesword.

"But--!" David heard Isaac's voice cut off abruptly, as if someone had covered his mouth. Probably young Collin, the boy had a good head on his shoulders. David faced the road ahead as a group of men in black rode up. At the sight of six men, ready for combat, they stopped. One man nudged his horse forward a step.

"I am Guy of Gisbourne." He announced. "The Sheriff of Nottingham welcomes you and sent me to escort you the rest of the way."

"As the letter said, we need no escort." Phillip growled. David glanced at him and saw that his hand was sliding towards his crossbow.

"We are aware of that." Gisbourne replied. "However, the Sheriff thought it would be the safest possible way to get her to Nottingham."

"Did he?" Gregory asked, his eyes narrowed.

"We have no need of an escort." David said, challenging this lord. Gisbourne looked at him and then smiled a strange, almost gleeful smile.

"Very well. But since we are now headed the same way, we may as well go together." He said. David's eyes narrowed and he nodded once before turning to confer with his men.

"Keep close around the carriage at all times." He ordered. They all nodded and moved to do so. David smiled thinly at Gisbourne. "By all means," he said almost tauntingly. "After you." Gisbourne nodded and his men began to head back the way they'd come. David followed, feeling a twinge of unease. He longed to draw his sword and kill these strangers. But if he did, there was some risk to those inside the carriage. And he'd sworn never to allow that.

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Marian exited her room and walked hastily towards the courtyard. The Sheriff's "guest" was arriving and he'd called all the people to come and see. She went to the balcony and sat down in one of the chairs that were already there. Almost instinctively, her blue eyes scanned the crowd for anyone wearing a hood. She caught the eye of one, and was answered by a wink and a roguish smile. Marian smiled back, pleased that Robin had heard the news and had assembled the outlaws with the crowd. Then the Sheriff stood up and everyone quieted and paid attention to what he had to say.

"Thank you all for assembling on such short notice," he began. Marian's eyes widened. The Sheriff was _thanking_ the people? What was going on? "We have a very important guest arriving today. She will be staying with us until our good King Richard returns to England after his success in the Holy Land." The Sheriff was saying. "I've received a letter from Prince John himself saying that he thinks Nottingham is the safest place for her to await His Majesty's return." Everyone brightened at the mention of their beloved king. They looked eagerly at the Sheriff, waiting for him to reveal the mysterious guest's identity to them. _He seems to be enjoying keeping them waiting, _Marian thought disgustedly.

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In the crowd, Robin watched the Sheriff, keeping an eye on Marian all the same. Beside him, Much was nearly going mad with impatience.

"Get one with it!" he hissed. "Who is she?" As if the Sheriff had heard him, he signaled the guards behind them to open the gates. Guy of Gisbourne rode in with his men, followed by…….the carriage. Robin sucked his breath and mentally warned his band to keep out of sight. If the driver saw them, he'd say that they were the ones to attempt to rob the King's visitor. The carriage stopped and the six men around it dismounted and stood on either side of the door, eyeing the crowd warily.

"Good people of Nottingham," The Sheriff said loudly. "It gives me great pleasure to introduce King Richard the Lionheart's ward, Lady Constance of London!" Everyone went crazy, cheering loudly as the carriage door opened and the girl stepped out. Robin felt his jaw go slack. At his side, even Much was speechless. They exchanged stunned looks. _We nearly robbed the King's ward!_

**Voila! The treasure is revealed! OK, I'm going to ask for 3-4 reviews for another chapter, but I'll still update this even if I don't get that many. Enjoy, and please R&R!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood, so there.**

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed!**

The people were cheering wildly. Constance smiled and waved, as she'd been trained. The Sheriff walked up to her, his face beaming with pride.

"Welcome to Nottingham, my lady." He said with a sweeping bow. Constance nodded to him.

"Thank you for allowing me to visit." She said softly. "May I introduce my companions, Sir Isaac, Lady Amira and Lady Danira, Lord Collin and Lord William, as well as my guards, David, Gregory, Phillip, Arthur, Lucas and Henry."

"I see that Guy escorted you, as I'd ordered him," The Sheriff said proudly.

"As I said before, Sheriff, no escort was necessary." David growled. Constance shot him a look.

"Now then," the Sheriff continued, leading her towards the manor. "We've set up guest quarters for you and your companions, I hope that they'll be satisfactory……"

"I'm sure they will." Constance said, craning her head to smile at the people. "Shouldn't I-!" He stopped, looking at her questioningly. "Shouldn't I greet the people? I mean, that is one of the reasons I'm here, isn't it? To lift the spirits of the King's people and let them know that there is hope?"

"Of course it is!" The Sheriff cried, beaming. He motioned towards the crowds. "Greet away." Constance slipped from his grasp and hurried over to see the host of people, all loyal to King Richard. They kissed her hand, telling her all sorts of wonderful things about him and about Nottingham. A hand suddenly grasped her wrist, hard. Constance looked to find her captor and saw a man, a crazed look in his eyes.

"Run!" he urged. "Go, quick! It's not safe!"

"Let go of me!" Constance hissed. The man was suddenly wrenched away from her and another young man stepped in between them. He stepped in between them and faced Constance. "Thank you," she said gratefully. He nodded.

"He's not that wrong." He said. "Not everything is what it seems." Then he turned to go.

"Wait!" Constance called after him. "What do you--?"

"Be careful, my lady." He whispered before vanishing. Constance opened her mouth to call after him, but David was suddenly at her side.

"Come, my lady." He said, glancing around. "Let's go." He led her inside, where the Sheriff, Sir Guy, and a woman were waiting.

"Ah, Lady Constance," the Sheriff purred. "May I introduce Lady Marian of Locksley." He said, motioning to the woman. Lady Marian curtsied and then the Sheriff ushered them to seats and they sat down to talk.

"The people here seem to be very confident about the King's victory in the Holy Land." Constance said, deciding not to mention the two men.

"Yes, they are." The Sheriff said, with a smile that seemed to be forced.

"If I may ask a question, milady," Sir Guy began. "How is it that you became the King's adopted daughter?" Constance smiled.

"My father was a knight who saved the King's life when they were both very young. When I was but a child, my parents died in an accident. Remembering his debt, the King rescued me and took me to the castle, where he assigned David as my bodyguard. I have been his ward ever since." She explained.

"Another shining example of our king's compassion." the Sheriff said. Constance nodded.

"Both he and Queen Eleanor have become surrogate parents to me." She said.

"And why were you sent to Locksley, my lady?" Lady Marian asked. Sir Guy and the Sheriff both shot her dark looks, Constance noticed.

"My uncle, Prince John, believed that it would hearten the King greatly if he knew that I was waiting for him when he returned. He considers Nottingham the safest and closest place to the Holy Land." Constance said.

"Ah, Prince John." The Sheriff purred. "Long may he live."

"May he always remain the King's strong second in command." Constance said. She saw a flash of annoyance on the Sheriff's face, but then it was gone. Frowning, she stood up.

"If you will excuse us, Sheriff, I'm wearied from our journey." She lied. The others leapt to their feet.

"Of course. I shall have Sir Guy escort you to your quarters." The Sheriff said. Sir Guy reached for her hand, but David cleared his throat.

"I believe that Lady Marian would be better suited for the task." He said hastily. "Lady Constance surely has had her fair share of men."

"I understand." The Sheriff said, nodding. _Do you?_ Constance wondered. Lady Marian showed them to where they would be staying. Constance turned to thank her, but the only response that she got was a warning look before the lady vanished. Constance shut the door and bolted it before turning to face her companions. All her guards had taken up defensive positions in the room, just in case. The others were sitting on the bed or in chairs, but no one wore any expression of happiness. Instead, they looked worried and suspicious. Constance sighed and spoke the two words they were all thinking:

"Something's wrong."

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The courtyard was emptied now, everyone having gone home. Robin walked over to where his band was waiting.

"The king's ward!" Much was babbling. "Come to Nottingham! Straight into the lion's den!"

"Prince John was behind this." Djaq said simply. She looked at Robin. "Will managed to warn her."

"I told her to be careful." The carpenter corrected. "What are we going to do, Robin?"

"We wait for an opportune time to talk." Robin replied.

**Enjoy!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood.**

**A/N: OK, just an fyi, this will be a short chapter because my Robin Hood muse is about to go on vacation. (Yells at muse) Also, despite what the last chapter said, Marian is NOT MARRIED TO GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a simple typo, nothing more. Sorry about that.**

Marian walked down the hallway towards her chambers, still mulling over her encounter with the princess. While the girl seemed nice enough, Marian could not shake the feeling that she was too trusting of the Sheriff. She seemed fully prepared to stand by and wait while he continued to plague the people of Nottingham.

"……a minor problem." Said a voice. Marian halted, realizing that in her haste, she'd unknowingly walked by the Sheriff's chambers. Ever loyal to King Richard, she stopped, listening.

"Still, they could cause complications." Sir Guy said.

"Nonsense!" The Sheriff argued. "We'll simply take them out and……dispose of them, and then tell her that they were killed by Robin Hood and his outlaws. This will aide us in keeping the outlaw from her as well."

"There are six of them, my lord. All very well trained." Guy reasoned.

"Then we hit them from above, in the trees." The Sheriff said in a bored tone. "I don't see what the big problem is, Guy."

"Lady Constance will not accept their fate so easily."

"Leave the planning to me!" The Sheriff snarled. "Get out!" Marian fled away from the door as she heard Guy coming. Only when she was in her chambers did she dare to breathe. Guy and the Sheriff were going to kill Lady Constance's guards! _I've got to warn her! But if Sir Guy and the Sheriff find out who told……_She shuddered at the thought of what they would do to her. Then it hit her. She could tell Robin! Smiling to herself, Marian grabbed her cloak and hurried to go find the outlaw. _This is one plan that the Sheriff will _not_ get away with!_

**Bye bye muse! Come back soon! (Muse promises to come back soon before leaving) Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood

**Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood.**

**A/N: Well, my muse is still on vacation, but it sent me a postcard with an idea, so hopefully it will be a good chapter, even though it **_**will**_** be short. Enjoy!**

"……He's going to ambush them from the trees." Marian finished. Robin nodded.

"It certainly makes sense. If their plan to kill the king fails, they can use his daughter against him." He mused.

"What do we do?" she asked. Robin sighed.

"We've got several deliveries to make before sundown. Will, find the princess. Protect her at any costs. Djaq, you and Much make the deliveries. Allan, you, John and I will follow Gisbourne. We've got to keep them alive at any costs." He ordered. The outlaws nodded and split up. Will looked at Marian and then they hurried inside.

Constance looked up as her door opened and David walked in.

"Sir Guy wants to discuss strategies for keeping you safe." He said bluntly.

"When?"

"Now. He's suggested that we go for a ride with him."

"All of you?" Constance asked suspiciously.

"The Sheriff promises that you'll be safe here in the manor." David said. The words were meant to be reassuring, but both of them still had their doubts. Just then, a man walked into the room. David glared at him. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"The Sheriff told me to stay in the room with Her Majesty until her bodyguards are through riding with Sir Guy." The man said, staring at the ground.

"Riding?" Constance repeated.

"We're riding through the forest." David explained. Constance nodded.

"Very well then. You should probably go." She said. David nodded and she hugged him tightly. "Be careful." He nodded and left. Behind them, neither of them noticed the soldier hurriedly tucking a wooden tag beneath his shirt.

"We're certainly learning a lot about King Richard, aren't we?" Much asked as he and Djaq dragged the big bags of food towards the villages. "I mean, first we find out that he has a wife that he wants protected, and now we find out that he has a daughter that he wants protected. What's next, a third cousin that needs protecting?"

"All that that means is that he cares for his family, like everyone does." Djaq answered.

"I know, it's just that you'd think his family would have bodyguards for themselves, the way he does. Then again maybe all their bodyguards had to go to the Holy Land to help fight so that their jobs would be easier." Much mused aloud. Djaq sighed and kept walking.

Will watched Lady Constance out of the corner of his eye. So far she'd ignored him, reading by the fire and not really paying much attention to him. She sighed suddenly and stood up. He stood up and hurried to her side.

"I think I'll go for a walk." She said aloud, mainly for his benefit. He didn't say anything as they walked out into the hallway. She seemed to be heading for Sir Isaac's room, probably hoping to talk to him. When they reached the room, Lady Constance paused, hearing voices.

"…..not sure I understand." Isaac was saying.

"Maybe I should repeat myself." The Sheriff said. The door was open a bit, so both Will and Constance could see the two men inside. With horrifying suddenness, the Sheriff drew a knife and slammed it into Isaac's chest. As the man collapsed to the floor, Constance let out a choked gasp, causing the Sheriff to look up. Will grabbed her hand and pulled her away, running with her back to her room. They burst in, gasping for air.

"He-He-He-He _killed_ him!" Constance burst out. "He j-j-just stabbed him and….." she sat down on the bed, her face pale.

"We've got to get you out of here. Come on." Will said, grasping her elbow and guiding her towards the door. It opened to reveal the Sheriff! Constance shrieked and stumbled back into Will. The Sheriff smiled at them.

"My lady Constance, I'm afraid I must confine you to your chambers until Sir Guy returns." He said.

"You murdered him!" Constance cried. "You're a killer!"

"And you're a hostage!" The Sheriff snarled, yanking the door closed. They both heard him bolt it from the outside. Constance looked at Will in horror. They were caught.

David sighed, staring around him at Sherwood Forest. This wasn't the ride he'd anticipated. Sir Guy was mainly prattling on and on and on about the countryside and the people. All David wanted to do right now was go back and check on Constance. He was suddenly yanked from his thoughts at a yell from Phillip:

"LOOK OUT!!"

**Oooh, an evil cliffie!! Hee hee hee! Enjoy this chapter and please review if you like it or have suggestions!**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood

**Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for your positive reviews! You're awesome!**

"I want her kept in there until I personally unlock that door!" The Sheriff commanded to the guards before starting off.

"What about the others, Sheriff?" a guard asked.

"Lock them in their quarters as well," was the reply. The guard nodded and hurried off to follow the order.

--

Collin didn't hear the guards coming to lock the door to his room. He wasn't in there. The son of a knight, he hated the cramped quarters that nobles got, stuck in the middle of an enormous manor. After about four minutes in the room, he'd crept out and was currently sitting on top of the roof above the Sheriff's study. He smiled. It was so pleasant, out in the open. He suddenly heard guards walking below on the walkway.

"…..are her guards?" one asked.

"Gisbourne went out into the woods with 'em." Replied the other.

"D'you think they'll get back safely?" the first asked, causing them both to chuckle.

"I dunno, but I hope the ones in the rooms don't make a fuss." The other grumbled. "The two girls started screamin' when we locked 'em in."

"What about the two lads?"

"One of 'em shouted somethin', but the other didn't say a word," the first replied just as they walked inside, out of Collin's hearing. Collin's jaw dropped. The others….locked up! He shuddered at the thought of being trapped in that tiny room by _force_! He had to find David and the others, make sure they were all right. Or should he check on Constance? _No, find David. He's her bodyguard; you'd only get yourself caught trying to find her room._ Collin nodded and then slid down the roof, praying no one heard the noise. He landed on the balcony and looked around. The stables were only one building away, but it was too steep a drop for him to jump. Collin bit his lip. How to get down…..how to get down…….

He suddenly realized the solution and went to work. Grabbing a coil of rope that was lying nearby, left by some careless soldier, he tied it around the beam under the roof and then lowered himself over the edge, willing the guards below not to look up. But favor wasn't on his side……or was it? The guards did look up….just as he hopped down onto the roof of the stables. They saw the rope and, after some arguing, went to go retrieve it and save their mate a tongue-lashing from Gisbourne. Collin grinned. They were gone. Good. He jumped down onto the ground and went into the stables. There, he hastily saddled a horse and then rode out. By the time anyone noticed his absence, he was halfway to the woods.

--

David let out a roar as he saw the arrows flying towards him.

"DOWN!!" he roared. Instantly, every one of Constance's men dismounted and were sprinting towards the tree line. David glanced back at Guy, who had remained on his horse. The lord's face was almost as dark as his hair, eyes blazing with rage.

"Get them!" he yelled. David stifled a curse as he saw the men rushing towards them, drawing their weapons. He reached for his sword, but before he could get to it, someone grabbed him and pulled him backwards. He struggled, but his captor wasn't letting go. David was dragged into a cave, and only then was he released. With a snarl, he whirled, drawing his sword.

"Easy!" a man hissed. "We're on the side of King Richard!" David relaxed, and then ducked further back into the cave as Guy and his men ran past.

"What do we do?" another man asked. "Sooner or later, they'll search this cave."

"But we won't be there," the first man replied. He waited until they couldn't hear Gisbourne anymore and then, slowly, crept out of the cave, looking after the enemy before waving them forward. "Come on, let's go." David nodded to his men and they all followed their mysterious rescuer.

--

Constance paced in the room.

"Now I know why Collin hates being stuck in his room!" she muttered absently to her guard, who was calmly sitting on the bed. Constance bit her lip and suddenly whirled to face him. "How can you be so calm?" she demanded. "We're being held _hostage_!" Then she remembered he was a guard and her suspicions arose. "At least, _I_ am. Why did they leave you in here? To make sure that I don't escape?" she asked accusingly.

"They couldn't risk letting you escape," the man muttered. He yanked off his helmet, revealing black hair and blue eyes. "And if they _did_ pull me out, I'd be taken to the dungeons."

"The dungeons?!" she cried, eyes wide. "Whatever for?"

"I'm an outlaw." He whispered, his eyes darting towards the door.

"But…..why are you guarding me?"

"Robin Hood sent me to find you and keep you safe."

"Robin Hood the outlaw? What business is it of his if I'm dead or alive?" she asked scathingly.

"Look, he may be an outlaw, but he's a good man who fought for the king in the Holy Land!" the outlaw said urgently. "Everything he's done, he's done for England and for King Richard!" Constance was silent. Could it be possible? But, the Sheriff had said—_oh, bother the Sheriff! He's the one who locked you in the bloody room!_ Constance thought angrily. She looked at the outlaw.

"What's your name?" she asked softly.

"Will Scarlett." He answered.

"Constance," she said with a wry smile. "I may be the biggest fool in England, but something tells me you're right. What's the plan?" He stared at her for a while and then she realized that there was no plan. "No plan, then! This is just great, isn't it?" she said, as she sat down beside him.

--

Collin stopped his horse, confused. Where were they?! Sighing, he turned and saw several black horses thundering towards him: Sir Guy.

"Seize him!" the lord yelled.

"Not good….." Collin grunted as he turned his horse, only to face several archers on the other side. "Not good!" he repeated as he slid off the horse and sprinted for the woods, ducking arrows as he went. "Not good, not good, not good, not good!" he panted as he sprinted through the forest, hearing Sir Guy and his men following.

"Psst! Collin!" hissed a sudden voice. Collin glanced to his right and saw a hooded figure beckoning to him. Not knowing or caring who this stranger was, Collin bolted towards him.

They ran for what seemed like hours, but the stranger suddenly grabbed Collin's arm and pulled him to one side. They slowed down, and suddenly, the leafy hill in front of them lifted, revealing a secret hideout. Collin gratefully walked in and sat down, panting. A mug of water was pressed into his hand and he gulped it down before looking at his rescuer.

"Thanks," he said. The man nodded, sipping his own water.

"We all owe you our thanks, Robin Hood." Said a familiar voice. Collin stared as David, Gregory, Phillip and the other guards stepped forward.

"David!" he cried. David nodded to him.

"Collin. You escaped, well done. So, outlaw." David said, crossing his arms. "How do we get the princess out of here?"

**Here you all go! Please don't forget to R&R! **


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